SeaWorld's next big campaign to celebrate 50 years

CaptionAntarctica: Empire of the Penguin

Joe Burbank / Joe Burbank

Penguins acclimate to their new habitat at the "Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins" attraction, during an Orlando Sentinel exclusive first-look preview, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The attraction is scheduled to open Friday, May 24. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

Penguins acclimate to their new habitat at the "Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins" attraction, during an Orlando Sentinel exclusive first-look preview, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The attraction is scheduled to open Friday, May 24. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) (Joe Burbank / Joe Burbank)

Penguins acclimate to their new habitat at the "Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins" attraction, during an Orlando Sentinel exclusive first-look preview, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The attraction is scheduled to open Friday, May 24. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

Penguins acclimate to their new habitat at the "Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins" attraction, during an Orlando Sentinel exclusive first-look preview, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The attraction is scheduled to open Friday, May 24. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) (Joe Burbank / Joe Burbank)

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. said Tuesday it will launch a 50th anniversary celebration early next year that will include new attractions and experiences for its three SeaWorld marine parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio.

The 18-month campaign, dubbed "Sea of Surprises," will launch March 21, 2014 — 50 years after the original SeaWorld opened its gates in California.

As part of the campaign, SeaWorld said it will dispatch more "animal ambassadors" throughout the parks to give visitors surprise encounters with penguins, lemurs, flamingos and more. New "Surprise Squads" will roam around to give away prizes such as free souvenirs or behind-the-scenes experiences. And "spontaneous entertainment" will pop up at unexpected moments along park pathways.

In addition, each of the three SeaWorld parks will get new animal shows, though the company didn't disclose additional details.

The company also said it has commissioned the environmental-art group "Washed Ashore" to carve larger sea-life sculptures from ocean debris. Those sculptures will be displayed in the parks.

Further attractions may also be part of the plans.The company said SeaWorld Orlando, which just completed the largest expansion in its history with Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, will unveil additional plans for 2014 this coming fall.

One already announced project: Explorer's Reef, at SeaWorld San Diego. A renovation of the 50-year-old marine park's main entrance, that 3-acre area will include a series of marine-life touch pools, as well as new retail and dining concepts. It will also feature what SeaWorld called a new front-gate concept, with existing ticket booths replaced by a concierge-style ticketing area with a beach theme.

That 16-month construction project has been timed to open next March, to coincide with the launch of the 50th anniversary campaign.